Instead of spending close to a million dollars on a new truck, each department took possession of a refurbished truck to fill the needs of the department at a fraction of the cost.

For the Farmington Fire Department, the second pumper is not a new truck. Instead, the department took a truck in the department's fleet since 2007 and had the vehicle completely refurbished.

According to Chief Todd Mecey, the department's secondary pumper, a 2007 Pierce Manufactured fire truck with a Caterpillar engine, was sent to the company's refurbishing plant in Weyauwega, Wisconsin to be completely overhauled.

Although the truck only had 70,000 miles on it, the vehicle was in need of the work.

Mecey added that to get a more accurate estimate on the wear and tear of a truck it is important to take the number of actual miles and multiply by five.

Adding to the wear and tear of the truck, Macey explained the company which made the engine is no longer in the big engine market. In fact, Caterpillar announced before the department took possession of the truck, they would no longer be making engines.

"We were able to get support for the engine," Mecey said. "But we were not able to get any technology upgrades."

Just like the Farmington Fire Department, Wolf Creek Fire Protection also practiced fiscal responsibility when they took possession of a refurbished pumper on Jan. 12.

"It is a 1999 Pierce Quantum fire truck with 50,000 miles on it" said Chief Bart Mabry. "It can pump 1,750 gallons per minute and the truck can carry 1,000 gallons of water."

According to Maybry, the new truck will be replacing a 1994 model with 100,000 miles on it.

"We purchased it from a dealer in Texas who did the mini-refurb on it," Maybry said. "It has new paint and lights. It still needs a couple of things that need to be done but it should be on the road by the end of the month."

Other features include a 1,250 gallon per minute pump, pump and roll and a 15 foot pre-connected hard suction hose, according to the Yutan Fire Department's Facebook page.

Kems said the department has been anxiously awaiting the new Smeal Fire Apparatus fire truck, which will replace the department's 1986, 1,000 gallon pumper tanker.

The department began working with a Smeal Fire Apparatus representative over a year and a half ago to determine what the department needed and wanted in a new truck.

Kems said the five-man cab interior, which is a unique feature for pumper tankers, is one of the special requests the department made.

The Rural Fire Protection District approved the design and signed the paperwork for production of the approximately $403,000 tax-funded truck to begin.

In the fall, the department was able to travel to the Smeal Fire Apparatus manufacturer in Snyder to see the new truck and request any minor changes before paint was applied to finish the job.

The custom-built truck, which took 500 days to build, will help keep the district's insurance premiums lower by meeting International Standards Organization (ISO) objectives, Kems said.

The decision to build a custom truck through Smeal Fire Apparatus, which was recently bought out by Spartan Motors, was easy, Kems said. The department wanted to do business somewhat locally.

The department will continue to rely on the old pumper tanker while putting on the finishing touches on the new truck.

The new units are equipped with new technologies that make them more efficient, including a foam injection system that's more effective in putting out fires, said Acting Chief Jay Cullinan. "The new equipment not only provides increased safety to responders and residents, but cuts costs by reducing the amount of equipment needed at the scene," he said.

This is the largest increase in new equipment for the county's fire and rescue services, since a bond referendum in the early 1990's that included a new station and several trucks, according to Spotsylvania County Director of Community Engagement Michelle McGinnis. They were rolled-out during the last three months of 2016.

The new equipment includes:

Rescue Engine 1
Located at Courthouse, is a Pierce Velocity PUC Pumper with a 1,500 gallon-per-minute (GPM) Pierce PUC Pump, and a 750 gallon water tank. It serves as a fire engine on the scene of a fire, and also contains specialized tools to respond to motor vehicle crashes and industrial accidents. This unit replaces a unit destroyed in a crash, and it was partially funded with insurance funds.

Tankers 7 and 8
These are Pierce Velocity PUC Tanker/Pumpers with 1,500 GPM Pierce PUC Pumps and 2,000 gallon water tanks. Both are replacements for older units.

Tanker 7, located at Wilderness, provides additional water supply capabilities to the northern, rural areas of the county. The unit it replaced was moved to Station 5 (Chancellor), providing additional resources at that location.

Tanker 8, located at Thornburg, has increased functionality compared to the unit it replaced, and provides water supply to areas without access to fire hydrants, including Interstate 95. Both tankers are unique in that they are equipped to meet the ISO requirements of a service company, which means they have the potential to improve the ISO rating of the areas they serve when the department is reevaluated in 2018. A better ISO rating means cheaper homeowner's insurance for residents.

Ladder 6
Located at Salem Church, Ladder 6 is a Pierce Velocity PUC with a 100-foot aluminum ladder, a 1,500 GPM Pierce PUC pump, and 500 gallon water tank. The new unit, which can serve as a ladder truck or engine, replaces an older, less versatile truck, that didn't have a hose, water tank and pump combination. The older unit is now used as a back-up.

Ladders 10 and 11
These are both Pierce Velocity PUC's with 75-foot aluminum ladders, 1,500 GPM Pierce PUC pumps, and 500 gallon water tanks .Both units can serve as ladders or engines, and can provide aerial device services the department didn't have before.

Engines 2 and 6
Engine 2, located at Brokenburg, and Engine 6, located at Salem Church, are Pierce Impel PUC Pumpers, with 1,500 GPM Pierce PUC pumps, and 750 gallon water tanks. The units they replaced have been retired and placed in reserve for use in training.

"It is probably the most advanced and premier system for a fire truck in the area," said Jason Cottrell, chair of the Sundridge-Strong Fire Board.

No expenses were spared on the purchase, which totalled more than $416, 000, as the department completely customized the vehicle to meet their needs.

There is a built in 20-gallon foam cell on the truck, which is used to clean up fuel or chemical spills. All it takes is pulling a lever to activate and mix the foam. On their old trucks, they would have to used pails of water and mix the foam themselves.

"We also have two-and-a-half-inch attack lines off the front for motor vehicle collisions and grass fires, so it is quick attack and you are not out on the highway," said acting fire Chief Scott Petch.

The tender process for the truck began in September of 2015 and the process finally concluded on Jan. 16, 2017.

The pumper-tanker is a much-needed addition to the Sundridge-Strong department fleet and will be replacing a GMC tanker truck built in the mid-80s. It was the last gas-operated truck in the department and had started to become a financial burden in recent years.

With a four-door, five-person cab the new truck becomes the largest in the department's fleet and will provide the ability to get more firefighters to the scene of an emergency. It also holds 1,200 gallons of water, which is one of the many ways it will help the department save time.